3D Animation Meets 2D in this Amazingly Colorful Music Video

I'm not sure how many people are familiar with Animal Collective, but their music is awesome and they usually have some great videos that go along with their more catchy songs. "Floridada" just came out and it's exactly what anyone would want out of a music video. Weird patterned 3D people having a baby by doing yoga? Check. Epilepsy warning? Check. Amazingly smooth and fun painted 2D animation? Double check.

Who says 2D animation can't marry 3D animation? It just did. In this music video. So enjoy! Get up and dance! And don't forget about that epilepsy warning there are some seriously bright flashing colors in this.

Thinking About 3D Space and Installation: Locomocion

Locomocion  is essentially an animation festival in Mexico City, started by a group of young people interested in experimental animation and creating an intimate space for the sharing of this art.

Last year (2015), Locomocion invited 13 animators and visual artists to come together and collaborate on a single piece. Titled The Heart of the Visual Alchemists, this piece takes a step back from the nature of mainstream cinema by making it a 3D experience and transforming the physical space through animation, sculpture, and music.  The sculpture at the center of the room was a 118 inch tall paper heart that was covered with animation at 360 degrees.

In the piece you can see the artistically unique styles from each animator that participated.

The piece itself also represents the mission of the festival itself. As Locomocion said that the goal of the festival was to create "a space to create, experience, and enjoy experimental animation."

Watch the installation here!

OK Go Bread Animation

As a film major who also doubles as an art student, I am always thinking of new materials that can be incorporated into projects in unique and interesting ways. Sometimes it can be hard to remember that even common everyday items can be works of art within themselves.

OK Go is is band that is not only known for their music, but their creative viral music videos as well. 

Their music video Last Leaf was created using over 3,000 pieces of bread (all past their sell-by dates) that were etched with a laser and then photographed. The 2D animation is mellow piece about the passing of time, which is a self-reflexive theme regarding the material used themselves. 

To me, this video simply shows that the possibilities of animation are endless, transcending any medium imaginable. 

Drawn Animation! Looks Great, Takes Forever.

I've always been a huge fan of drawn animation and have wanted to take a stab at it for a long time. The process has always been fascinating to me. I remember watching some animation features from Disney films when I was younger that almost made me want to go into animating (I love it but I'm not sure I'm up to the task of having it as a career).

For some reason I never thought to look at modern cartoons and shorts and their process! From rough drafts to final animation. Here are a few that I found that emphasize the effort and labor that goes into creating even a couple seconds of hand drawn animation.




Niko animation process from studionx on Vimeo.

An Object At Rest

An Object at Rest is a short animated film I found while looking through Vimeo's collection of animated shorts. On their front page there are some incredible examples of animated shorts including Wire Cutters and Ascension to name a few. An Object at Rest was the one that caught my eye though. A charming little short about how a mountain is worn down over time, the style is almost whimsical, and the tone seems to be cheerful but with some darker undertones. The water color style and pastel colored pallet help aid this style.

I never really understood how vast a resource Vimeo is, but now I think I'll be using it much more in the future.



An Object at Rest

Horror Addict

I'm that weird kid who's always down to watch a scary movie.  You suggest it, and I will always be down.  When I'm not watching horror movies, I'm looking up creepy short films, and stories that may cause me to lose some sleep.  In my studies, I happened to stumble across this super short animation, which actually disturbed me a bit.  It may look simple, but I found that the simple design made it all the more effective.  It also helped that it was hand-drawn, which I'm also always a sucker for.

 Created by a student at the Vancouver film school.
Disclaimer: If you're not a fan of psychological horror, then I don't suggest watching this.

Cartoon Saloon

Cartoon Saloon is a animation company based in Kilkenny, Ireland. This company has had Academy Award and BAFTA nominations within the past few years for their works The Secret of Kells and The Song of the Sea.

They caught my eye because of their 2D style. They create everything so that there is the illusion of depth with only 2D planes. I also relate with their stories as they focus on Celtic history and mythology.

Their upcoming feature film, The Breadwinner, will take tell a story very different from their previous ones. Based on the book by Deborah Ellis it tells the story of a young girl growing up in Afghanistan in 2001. It is set for release in 2017 and I can't wait to go see it.

Urbance by Steambot

For the past few years I have been following the progress of a new TV series titled Urbance. Set in dystopian future where sex kills the characters attempt to have relationships and to live, but a government controlled agency, COEVO, controls all aspects of life.

A 10 minute pilot just premiered on vimeo and the style took my breath away. With geometric shapes and neon colors, Urbance stands out to me and I can't wait to see what they do.

Homepage

Pilot

Tackling Animation with Infographics

As I start to tackle my infographic project I realized how much animation is required. It may not necessarily be the most complex animation but I looked into some tools that will help. I was told the puppet tool would be very helpful for this project so I found a great tutorial for it from lyndia.com on youtube. I also found a principles of animation video that brings some theory to animation movement. These elements have been very helpful when building this infographic project.
 

The Peanuts

The Peanuts is an American comic strip that was written and illustrated by Charles M. Shultz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000. The comic eventually grew into a well-known franchise, including famous films, books, and characters. Recently, Blue Sky Studios just released a new Peanuts film, however, the film included a 3D animation world while the old fashion Peanuts lived in a 2D animation world. However, Blue Sky was determined to stay faithful to that world in which it was built on. That meant they had to come up with a technical solution that would ensure the studio that they were consulting with the original comic strip to create the film. Personally, I thought the film was adorable, it had all the classic characters we had come to love, with just a little more flare. It was interesting to see how they took a 2D animation world and created into a 3D animation world, but still had that nostalgia feeling about the story. The Peanuts is such a classic franchise that everyone loves, and the definitely did not disappoint when it came to remaking a new film featuring the world.

Jamón

I'm the kind of person who is always browsing Vimeo for good short films because it's such a fantastic collection. If you're new to Vimeo I recommend at least following "Vimeo Staff Picks", they curate some amazing stuff. I'm also part of the "Everything Animated" group which posts exactly what it sounds like, animated shorts! This is one that I found a while ago and has remained one of my favorites.

Jamon is a Spanish short by Iria Lopez about a pig who lives in a human's world. It's tragic and funny and definitely deserves a watch. I'm a sucker for traditional animation and this one is beautifully done using silkscreen backgrounds.

If you have time please give it a watch! I promise you won't regret it.


Jamón film from iria lopez on Vimeo.

Ralph Bakshi's ''Wizards''

"Wizards" is a film I saw during my senior year of high school on the recommendation of a teacher. The first thought I had while watching this film is that it is not for kids. With adult themes and animation throughout this film is not for your younger sibling.

While this film isn't immensely popular it's style charmed me and reminded me of films by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Even though it could be considered high fantasy the message is remarkably current as the whole premise of the film is that humans pollution lead to a rebirth on Earth.

Using a mix of live action an hand drawn animation "Wizards" is a fun, watch and a great example of animation in the 70s. And the best part is the entire movie is uploaded to YouTube for anyone to watch.

What I've Learned From Hand Drawn Animation

I pull open the door to Master Control. They see me and immediately begin typing on the computer--they know exactly what I'm here for.
      "Hi, I'd like to take out the animation room--room 147--" I say, just to be polite.
      "We know." They say. "It's your home now."

I've been living in my animation cave for weeks now. Hand drawn animation is going to be fun! I had said to myself. I wasn't entirely wrong but I wasn't right either.

Hand drawn animation is both intensely satisfying and incredibly frustrating. I could be there until 11pm (and I often am) and still only get a few frames done. Mostly because I have no idea what I'm doing...but still.

If you're like me (incredibly stubborn and love to live in a tiny room with a computer) then hand drawn animation is for you!

Here's a little clip to show you all what it feels like:



Happy animating!

FEELINGS

This has and probably always will be one of my favorite little animation shorts. It's so simple--and yet when I first saw it I teared up with nostalgia. Nate Milton, the animator, wrote down thoughts and feelings from his childhood and then used a pastel-like material to create the piece.

I like this animation because it's just a collection of feelings and moments--not necessarily a story or narrative. It's also a fresh way of making animation, with traditional materials as well as computer software. It just has a very organic feeling that I really respond to.

I hope you all enjoy it!



FEELINGS from Nate Milton on Vimeo.

A World of Tomrrow

Netflix came out with animation that was amazing. It is only 16 minutes long, but it says so much. Using 2D animation but a complex plot the characters seem very realistic with only being stick figures. The creators use the animation to their advantage, having the characters interact with it. It is an adorable short film but it says a lot about where our society is going, and where we will end up. It is simplistic and fun, yet deep and saddening. It gives you all the feels. Here is the trailer for it. I encourage you to watch the full thing.

Walk Cycle Tutorial

As soon as I sat down at my computer and started to design characters that I would like to animate, a horrifying thought came to me. I have no idea how these characters move. I couldn't fathom how someone could animate a human--say--throwing a ball and making it look natural. Let alone a drawn character with different physical rules than a human. How would I make a cartoonish-looking figure walk and bend and express themselves?

I wasn't interested in making my characters too realistic, and wanted to pursue a more comical tone. After browsing through my hoard of favorite animation videos on Vimeo, I found that I was drawn back to an animator named Charles Huettner. I followed him a year or so ago and found that his style intrigued and inspired me. Digging through his videos, I found an excellent Photoshop animation tutorial that might prove useful for anyone wanting to animate a walk cycle of a character that isn't necessarily human. The first video features Charles Huettner and Caleb Wood animating in photoshop and the second is a finished animation by Charles Huettner. 

I hope this inspires people as it inspired me! Get animating! 

Photoshop Animation Tutorial from Charles Huettner on Vimeo.

The Jump from Charles Huettner on Vimeo.

Do Ya Thang - Gorillaz

The Gorillaz is arguably one of the best bands to have ever graced my ears since birth. But aside form their music, they are a prime example of transmedia. What started out as a British rock band has transcended into comics, online games, and interactive holographic concerts! But what I want to talk about today is their Style-o (Stylo is one of their popular songs... This is a joke). Many times you'll find a blend of 2D and 3D animation, and practical effects in their music videos which always helps to blend the creepy, disgusting, and fantastical world of Gorillaz. "Do Ya Thang" was a collaboration between them and Andre 3000, to help promote Converse.

The video below is a making of the very same music video. Here you will see snippets of the production process. Everything from the storyboard, dressing the set, blocking the actors, and eventually modeling the band mates. It's interesting to see how paper comes to life not just through a green suit but the detail they put into designing even the skin of all the characters.

Shadowing at Hornet Animation

Recently I was informed that I might be able to shadow at Hornet Animation during the winter break and so I decided to do a bit of research on their work. And I was not disappointed in what I found. The company has worked on just about anything from commercials to music videos! It is clear in each project that they have carefully crafted limited color palettes, general and main shapes, as well as beautifully rendered movement. Below I have chosen just three of some of my favorites!

This is "Boy's Latin" by Panda Bear. The animation was done by Eran Hilleli. It is composed of heavily saturated living organisms that are constantly moving and swaying. Not only is it beautifully done, the amazing visuals keeps the audience interested as well as peaks our interest as to what else is to come.

"Between Bears" was also done by Eran Hilleli as their graduate piece. It is a great example of 3D movement on 2D objects. While I don't quite understand the story, the scenery, lighting, and ominous music kept me engaged the whole way through. 

"Nespresso Mobile" by Parallel, is one of the most beautifully done commercials I have ever witnessed in my entire life. And that's a fact. While this animation also deals with 3D animation of 2D objects, it completely separates itself from "Between Bears" because of it's organized chaos. Even in the thumbnail alone the cluttered city is so ornately detailed that it seems almost more organized than jumbled. 

Title Sequence Project

For our next project I am in between ideas. Earlier this week I was reeling through different movies like "Sherlock Holmes", "Fight Club", "Pan's Labyrinth"; all movies that have a certain aesthetic that would be relatively simple to convey in a title sequence, but decided against them because I didn't want to recreate already made titles or felt that I could make one that fit the movies tone.

My mind immediately went to this stained and drawing look from "Sherlock Holmes"

Now I am between two very different ideas. One would be Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel". His greatest strengths in his movies are the stylized vintage-pastel aesthetic, which I feel could easily translate to a simple title sequence. 

My other idea would be for "Over the Garden Wall", a twisted cartoon that follows two brothers into the dangerous "Unknown" woods. I feel that a 2D animation of the brothers walking through different significant scenes would be a good start for the title project. 

a 3D look but a 2D Feel

I am a huge fan of traditional 2D animation. I love how ridiculously expressive you can make the characters, and I love how you don't need to depend on the physics of the real world to make your cartoon enjoyable. When I see films like Disney's frozen I ask myself the question of "Why did this need to be animated" or rather "What is animation adding to this story". And to be frank I don't know that I've found an answer aside from the fact that having 3D models of every character comes in real handy when rolling out lines of action figures and other such merch.

It's not that I don't like 3D animation in general. I just feel that it can get so close to the look of the real world that any abstraction would severely disturb the audience watching.

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs was a 3D animated film produced by Sony Studios that I feel captures some of the very best that 2D and 3D animation have to offer. Take a look at the clip below:

While the look of the film is undoubtedly 3D, it really does feel like you're watching 2D cartoon. The characters move erratically  and emote expressively, you can see during periods of fast movement that someone has actually gone in and drawn smears and multiples into the 3D frame, and whatsmroe is that it never takes itself too seriously.

Like I said before, I don't have a problem with 3D animation as a medium, but I'd love to see it used to it's full potential.